


The hero the city needs

by bugzadc



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-23 13:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9660152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bugzadc/pseuds/bugzadc
Summary: Cat Grant and Kara Danvers work at rival newspapers. Cat has no idea the hero she's been reporting on is also the competition and Kara's pretty sure her boss' head is going to explode if The Tribune keeps getting the scoop on all things super.





	1. Chapter 1

She’d popped up in the city a few months ago – a wonder in blue, red and yellow.   _The Tribune’s_ name for her hadn’t stuck.That honor had gone to Lois Lane over at _The Daily Planet_ \- apparently her professional history with Superman made her an authority in the world of caped heroes - but Cat was determined to be the one to get the first interview with Supergirl.

Her appearance in New York had completely changed the content of Cat’s articles; they stopped being: two men are wanted for shooting a security guard and robbing a bank. Instead they were about a hero: a woman fearlessly and selflessly stepping in and stepping up all around the city to protect people.

The city was a disheartening place if you worked the crime beat. Every day Cat woke up, dressed Carter for school and gave him breakfast while scrolling through local news outlets to see what had happened over night.

Every day Cat smiled at her son and pretended things were perfect in the world up until the minute she dropped him off at school. The Cat that walked out of Lincoln Preparatory each morning at 8:38 was a different Cat from the one that walked in at 8:35. She knew what New York was. She knew how people were. And outside of her son, she didn’t see much use in too many of them.

Supergirl’s appearance was a game changer. The hero’s insignia was one of the first things that greeted in the morning as she walked into Carter’s bedroom to wake him up. A giant poster was on the ceiling above his bed – he had told Cat he liked to look at it when he fell asleep so he could imagine “beating up the bad guys.”

Cat wanted to be the first one to interview her for the pride that would come with it, but she _needed_ to be the first one to interview Supergirl for Carter. She needed to make sure the woman was on the level before she let her son indulge in fantasies of heroics and super powers.

Cat just missed her chance on the morning of June 17th. She’d hustled to the Upper West Side after she’d heard Supergirl was at the scene of a shooting at Zabar’s. She was gone by that point though. Only police, customers and a reporter from _The Daily Planet_ remained.

Cat had seen the other reporter around – Kiera Danburg or something. She didn’t normally care about her competitors, but it was a little bit different when it was a reporter from the _Planet_ , the rival paper of _The Tribune_. Still, there was no harm in asking the pony-tailed reporter if she knew anything about Supergirl’s presence.

Cat just prayed Lois didn’t hear that she’d been asking questions. She knew there was some ridiculous edict at the _Planet_ about not talking to reporters at _The Tribune_ or something – so childish, so Lois.

She walked up to the other women and waited for her to pause in her note scribbling. “You were first on scene, right?”

“Yes, hi. Um, the Zabar’s owner is on his way here and the cops said the NYPD is sending a public information officer over to give a statement. That’s about all I’ve got so far,” the other woman said as she eyed Cat’s press pass. Her eyes widened as she took in the details.

Cat’s press pass prominently displayed the logo of the Tribune - she should have positioned it so her blazer covered up the paper’s logo. The Danburg girl was a total newbie to reporting and there was no way she was going to go against the Law of Lois.  Cat had to try though.

“Was Supergirl here? I heard she made an appearance.”

The other woman flipped back a couple of pages in her reporter pad and made a show of skimming for a line of notes. “Right, the officers wouldn’t tell me anything, but I did hear from one of the workers that she was here and then left when she realized no one was hurt and the shooter had run off. Sorry, I should have said. I just don’t have it verified or anything.”

Cat watched the other reporter walk away to get back to work and huffed, frustrated that she’d missed the hero again.  She’d cut breakfast with Carter short in her rush to get there. At the very least she’d get the satisfaction of putting out a story much better than the one from the _Planet_ , she thought as she watched the other reporter interviewing a man on the street. Beating Lois in any way always made her feel better.

But her article wasn’t the best coverage of the incident, she decided at the end of the day. Cat had read through the copy of every single station, newspaper and website – eager to see if any of them offered even the slightest hint that might help her find Supergirl.

_The Daily Planet_ reporter – Kara Danvers, apparently, had the most detailed article, even without any concrete information on Supergirl’s involvement.  She had interviews with customers, Zabar’s’ owners, employees, and the lead detective on the case.

Danvers had somehow even managed to snag an interview with the shooter from the grocery store. It turned out that he’d accidentally shot himself in the foot. The man - who claimed he found the gun in a park and kept it so kids wouldn’t find it - had set off the gun in his waistband when he’d reached for cash to pay for his bagel and coffee. Police had literally followed a trail of blood up Broadway to the hospital.

_The Daily Planet_ copy had been posted online a full two hours after Cat’s own, which gave Cat some satisfaction, but Cat didn’t have an interview with the shooter in her story.  It seemed Lois, despite her many inadequacies, had some skill at hiring people who could actually report.

Cat ran into Kara at various crime scenes again and again over the next few months. Supergirl was rarely there when Cat arrived, but people often told her that “she just left.”

The most any reporter ever managed to get about the hero was accounts from the people she’d saved. New Yorkers would share the stories of Supergirl flying them out of their apartments as the building burned down. Of how she’d flown back in to get a little girl’s teddy bear when the girl had cried after the hero brought her safely outside.

The girl wonder never took the time to speak with reporters and, honestly, Cat wasn’t sure she ever would.

XXXXXXX

That was until Supergirl found herself in a situation where she didn’t trust the police to truthfully inform the public – and truth was important in both personas.

Unfortunately for her career, ethics were also important. Kara wasn’t naïve. She knew she could make her career if she positioned herself as the one who could get interviews with Supergirl. But that just felt wrong – she’d gotten into reporting for a reason and using herself as a source would violate the code she’d learned at the _Planet_ as well as her own sense of fairness.

Kara already felt guilty enough using her speed to get to scenes so quickly. It also felt a touch unfair that she knew who to talk to and what to ask based on her insider knowledge.

So she couldn’t use her alter ego as a source to give herself a leg up, but that didn’t mean she needed to help any other reporters. Lois would make the lives of everyone at the Planet miserable if they were missing something other people had. She’d been a complete terror ever since Superman had left New York for Metropolis.

Besides, Kara had reasoned when she first took over Superman’s role in the city, she had more than enough on her hands between preventing, solving and writing about crimes and fires. She didn’t need to add answering questions to her crowded plate. No, Kara had decided when she first donned the cape, if _The Daily Planet_ wasn’t going to have Supergirl exclusives, no one was.  

That changed when she barged into a room of career criminals from the Agostini crime family, clad as Supergirl, of course. She’d been following rumors that they’d been trafficking young girls and was pretty sure they were housing them in a Brooklyn warehouse.

She didn’t find the girls, but she did find evidence that the men had several cops in their back pockets.

A team of officers responding to reports of a loud fight – Kara hadn’t been quiet while taking down the men, she didn’t take kindly to traffickers – came in while she was looking through documents in the room.

One of the officers knocked some sort of liquid over onto a stack of papers when he came in. It was only later when he stubbed out a cigarette on the papers and they immediately went up in flames that she realized he was one of the dirty cops mentioned in the files.

Kara was stuck. She had no evidence he was dirty, not anymore, and she couldn’t report on it herself because Kara Danvers never saw those papers – Supergirl did. Kara cursed to herself.  To get this story out there she was going to have to break two of her personal rules: give an interview as Supergirl, and give that interview to someone outside of the _Planet_ , someone who didn’t see her stuffing donuts in her mouth every day in the break room.

There was only one reporter outside of the _Planet_ Kara trusted enough to tell this story: Cat Grant. She was familiar with the other reporter long before Cat had approached her that June morning.

She knew at least something about everyone on _The Tribune’s_ roster; they were the _Planet’s_ chief rival, after all. “Know your enemy,” Lois had told Kara on day one. It wasn’t quite rule one of the _Planet_ \- that was ‘don’t ever be the idiot without a pen and paper.’ And it wasn’t rule two either - that was ‘don’t ever be the idiot without a pencil, because pen ink freezes in the winter, rookie.’ It wasn’t even rule three, but it was still in the top 10. No reporter from the _Planet_ was allowed to leave a scene if a reporter from _The Tribune_ is still there.

Cat was at a lot of scenes and Kara noticed her – a lot, more than she should. But Kara admired her – the other reporter was meticulous and efficient. She had this way of just showing up at a scene, surveying it for a moment and knowing instantly what to do.

Kara wouldn’t fault her writing either – it was biting, sharp, witty and fair. Cat Grant never pulled punches no matter who or what she was writing about.

If some reporter other than Kara was going to take on the Agostini family and a bunch of dirty cops, it was going to have to be Cat Grant - no question about it.

Kara wasn’t really sure how to do this – she’d heard how Clark had done this with Lois back when he operated out of New York. But there was no way Kara was just showing up at Cat Grant’s home unannounced and without an invitation. She was all about consent.

Kara supposed there was every chance Cat would show up to the warehouse sometime soon though. Supergirl had managed to tie up 12 members of a mob family, even if she hadn’t found the girls quite yet.

She slipped off to the side where she wouldn’t be seen, pulled her phone out from her boot and typed up some notes from the scene to send to her editor. Kara attached a few photos to the email, hit send and then waited for Cat to show up at the warehouse.

XXXXXXX

Cat wasn’t happy when she got there – she never was when someone beat her to a crime scene as that _Planet_ reporter seemed to do all too often. She got to work and it was only when she flipped her notebook shut an hour later that she noticed a post-it stuck to the front of the pad.

“ _Meet me at your car_ ,” the note read above Supergirl’s insignia.

Cat had no idea what had inspired this change of heart about the media from the super hero or how the woman had managed the trick with the note, but there was no way she was missing out on this opportunity.

She walked over to her car, parked a couple of blocks away, and frowned when there was no sign of Supergirl. Until she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her.

“Excuse me.”

Of course the girl wonder would be polite, Cat thought as she turned around.

“Thank you for coming,” Supergirl said.

“To my own car? I did have to come here eventually,” Cat said, leaning back against the passenger door of her car. “What can I do for you, Supergirl?”

The hero looked immensely uncomfortable and nothing like the caped crusader that had been flying around New York for the last five months. Cat wondered if maybe the reason she’d never come near reporters before was shyness.

“I’m here to offer you a story, a big one,” Supergirl said. “I saw signs inside that the Agostini family has cops on their payroll. I don’t have any evidence for you, just my word. One of the officers inside destroyed some documents.”

That was huge if it was true. Cat wanted that story, but there was no way she was just taking Supergirl’s word on this. Despite the signs that the hero was just what her deeds implied, Cat couldn’t just trust her immediately.

“You want me to write a story based on nothing more than your word,” Cat said. “You must have inhaled too many fumes from all those fires you’re always putting out. There’s no way I can just take the word of someone who won’t even tell people her name.”

“Good,” Supergirl said, much to Cat’s surprise. “That’s why I want you on this. You may not trust me, but I trust you to do this right. I have names for you – names and dates. You can check all of those.”

Names and dates – those were details Cat could work with. These weren’t quite the terms she was used to when it came to sources though. Cat was usually the one in charge. She felt the need to take some of that back.

“I will expose you as a liar if none of this turns out to be true,” Cat said. “I hope you know that too. You can be a miracle worker publically all you want, but if you’re not being 100 percent honest with me here, you’re done.”

The caped woman just stared at her, smile on her face. She looked frustratingly pleased with the way the conversation was going.

“Be my guest,” she said. “I know better than to lie to Cat Grant.”

XXXXX

It was three long weeks before the story appeared on the front page of _The Tribune_ – three of the most frustrating weeks of Kara’s life. She had no way of even knowing if Cat was working on the story.

Then it hit the newsstand. Kara had never been as grateful for a Lois Lane rant as she was the day the story made the _Trib_. Once Lois finished yelling about Cat at the morning meeting, Kara happily left the newsroom to wait outside the 78th precinct for the perp walk of the five dirty cops Cat had uncovered.

Cat wasn’t there – just a _Tribune_ photographer – but Kara did see the other reporter later that day at the arraignment. She was leaning against the federal courthouse building and she looked so damn smug.

Kara took a deep breath and reminded herself it was the end result that mattered, not who broke the story. Cat had done what she couldn’t do and that was a good thing, even if it didn’t sit 100 percent well with her ego. Kara didn’t know when she had developed one of those, but she supposed it came with the job.

Dozens of instances of criminality Kara had seen firsthand flashed through her mind. She’d been able to handle some of them as Supergirl, some of them as Kara and some of them as both – but there were a few, she hated to admit, that she couldn’t quite handle as either – let alone as both.

Cat could come in handy again. She’d done a good job — no, a great job — getting those cops behind bars. The evidence she’d uncovered was damning and there was no way the cops would be able to weasel their way out of things. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing for Supergirl to develop a working relationship with a reporter if it was one she could trust.

This was something both parts of her could play a role in. Kara had always been pretty good at sussing people out – people could sense her genuine desire to get to know them and they were usually happy to open up. Her work as a reporter had only honed her ability. She could use those skills with Cat right now and probe her trustworthiness.

“Lois just about had an aneurysm this morning you know,” Kara said.

Cat smiled big. “That’s almost the best news I’ve heard all day,” she said. “Your boss change the handbook on dealing with _Trib_ reporters? Last I checked, coming this near one of us was _verboten_.”

Kara laughed. “Oh, it still is. You’re public enemy number one right now. But I’ll tell you a secret,” Kara said, leaning closer to Cat. “I’ve never been too great with following the rules.”

Cat scanned Kara up and down – her tight ponytail, glasses, button down shirt, blazer, belt and pants. “And yet everything about all this just screams rule abiding,” Cat said.

“Didn’t they ever teach you not to make assumptions,” Kara asked. “Although I do have an assumption or two about you of my own. Like this one: I’m guessing you still haven’t managed to get ahold of Supergirl,”

Cat huffed and brushed a lock of her hair out of her face. “Sadly no. The girl wonder remains elusive.”

Kara grinned; she was happy to realize Cat was protecting her sources. Kara as Supergirl had never asked Cat to keep her name out of things and yet it appeared that the other reporter was doing it anyway.

“Hey, at least she isn’t elusive when it comes to the city at large,” Kara said, before glancing down at her phone and reading a text. “Looks like they’re about to start inside. Coming?”

“Well I’m certainly not going to miss out on yet another opportunity to show how much better I am than you and everyone else at the _Planet_ ,” Cat said with a smirk. “Someone besides Supergirl has to help this city out.” 

The officers were ordered held without bail. Both reporters left the courthouse that afternoon, turned in copy and continued doing their jobs, day in and day out.

XXXXX

Cat didn’t see Supergirl in person again until the end of October. She had been seeing plenty of the hero around her home, in a way. Carter’s obsession had not lessened in recent months. In fact, he’d firmly told her he wanted to be Supergirl for Halloween.

Cat never wanted to deny Carter anything and much of her hesitancy about the hero had disappeared in the last months. Cat had met Superman a time or two and she didn’t think he’d ever ask a civilian for help. Supergirl, despite her immense powers, didn’t seem to have a god complex. So if Carter wanted to be Supergirl for Halloween, if he wanted to be like her any day of the week, then Cat would let him.

She just hoped for Lincoln Preparatory’s sake that the teachers there were as progressive as the brochures had made them out to be. It wouldn’t be pretty for them if anyone gave her son trouble over his costume. 

Carter’s school was hosting a Halloween event; the kids were supposed to be able to get their candy checked for safety and then go enjoy a party. Lincoln Preparatory had not advertised Supergirl’s involvement, so the hero’s appearance was a surprise to Cat. Supergirl scanned the piles of candy and gave the all clear to Lincoln’s principal. 

After glancing over to where Carter was giggling at a bowl of fake brains, Cat walked over to Supergirl before the other woman could take off. Cat may have already been the first reporter to actually speak to the caped woman, but she was Cat Grant: she was also going to be the first to score an actual interview.

“I had wondered if you were planning to wear a different costume today or if you were sticking with your usual,” Cat said. “Though I suppose sexy nurse just doesn’t really fit the Supergirl aesthetic **.”**

Supergirl paused on her way out and shrugged. “I’m not sure a costume other than my usual would be reassuring to the parents and teachers,” she said. “What are you doing here, Ms. Grant?” 

Cat gestured to a group of young children on the far side of the auditorium. “My son goes to school here,” she said. 

There was only one boy in the group Cat had gestured to. Supergirl’s face lit up when she realized what he was wearing. He looked adorable.

“Your son is dressed as me? My cousin, I could understand, but I can’t say I’ve seen any other boys rocking my cape and skirt today. Lots of girls, but he’s the only boy.”

So Superman was her cousin - well that was a piece of information no one else had. But Cat was in this for the long haul - she wanted Supergirl as a steady source and, based on how the hero had acted the last time they’d spoken, that was going to take some time and effort. It was going to take a relationship.

“What can I say? Carter has excellent taste,” Cat said, enjoying the slight blush spreading on Supergirl’s cheeks. “You know, I never got to thank you for that information you gave me. Would you be interested in helping me out again?”

“I might be, we’ll see,” she said. “I do have to go now though. I promised to scan chocolate at a number of other schools.”

“By all means then, Supergirl. I’d hate to be the one to stand between children and their candy.”


	2. Chapter 2

Admittedly, Lincoln Preparatory had handled Carter’s Halloween costume better than Cat had anticipated. It had been a relief to see continued acceptance of her son from both students and teachers. So the call from the school today had come as a shock. 

Carter had been crying when she got there. The right knee on his jeans was torn and a bruise was forming high on his cheek. 

Carter had always been a bit different, special. But he seemed like he was getting on really well in school; he was happy to leave home in the morning and filled with cheerful stories about his day later at night. The biggest problem he’d had at school until now was that he wasn’t overly fond of the cookie type they served at snack. 

But his principal had called this afternoon and said Carter had attacked some other boy. That wasn’t her son though - Carter was kind and gentle. When she asked Carter what had happened, he’d tearfully explained that two of the boys in his class had taken away one of his friend’s favorite dolls.

“I was just trying to be like Supergirl,” Carter said after he told her about the fight.

Cat took one more look at her son, gave him a tight hug and then stormed into the principal’s office for the meeting. The principal gestured to a chair opposite his desk, but there was no way Cat was sitting. No - she would stand over him.

“Right then, I’m Principal Matthews. Thank you for coming in so quickly. Unfortunately, I don’t have good news for you,” the principal said. “We’re going to have to expel Carter for the incident this morning. We have a very strict policy against physical violence.”

Cat’s eyes narrowed and she leaned forward, gripping the back of a chair. She was careful to keep her volume down as she spoke with the school’s principal, mindful that Carter was just one room away behind the closed door of the principal’s office.

“Excuse me?”

Her voice was razor sharp. This was the Cat Grant that had spent 15 years confronting criminals and politicians, demanding they give her the information she wanted.

“You cannot be serious,” Cat said. “My son was protecting a friend. You can’t expel him for standing up for another student.”

Principal Matthews seemed thrown off balance. “I really am sorry,” he said. “Carter’s teacher has some really lovely things to say about him, but the rules are in place for a reason. Today has to be Carter’s last day here.”

“Well then I guess we’re done here,” Cat said on her way out the the door.

Carter was staring straight at his lap, tiny fists clenched tight, when Cat walked out of the principal’s office.

Cat kneeled down in front of the chair. His cheeks were red and it was obvious he’d started to cry again while she’d been in the office. “Carter?” She waited until he looked up at her. “I am so proud of you.”

“But I hitted Dylan and I’m not supposed to hit!”

Cat didn’t know how to handle this. Her parents had never taken the time to have these types of conversations with her. Cat wished she had a role model to look to here, but she didn’t. She felt ill-equipped as a mother to dole out advice on this, but Cat had made a promise to herself the day Carter was born. She would him him and provide him with unwavering support. 

Violence wasn’t the answer, but this didn’t seem like it was the time to touch on it - not when her son was crying and not when he’d so bravely stood up for a friend. Cat could use the coming days to talk this over with Carter again, but this moment was for standing up for him.

“You’re right, you’re not supposed to hit someone, but you should always stand up for your friends,” Cat said. “Do you feel ready to go home, Mr. Superhero?”

Carter nodded. “Yea,” he said. “Hug first?”

Cat wrapped Carter in her arms and held him tight. She hated that something like this had happened. It was completely infuriating that the black-and-white school policy was hurting her son. She just hoped that Carter wouldn’t need to use his heroic side at his next school, she thought as she pulled away from Carter.

Cat’s phone rang just moments later It was her editor, Tony. Cat sighed before picking up the phone. He was going to be less than pleased if she turned down an assignment.

“There’s a four-alarm at 46th and Third. I need you to get over there immediately.”

“Sorry, Tony. I just had to pick up Carter for school and I don’t have anyone to watch him. Isn’t anyone else free? Myles, maybe?”

“Myles left to take his Ma to a doctor’s appointment and no else is free right now,” Tony said. “The  _ Planet _ already has pictures and video from that Danvers kid. Can you just scope it out until I can get someone else there? 20 minutes max, I promise.”

This was not at all how Cat had wanted today to go, but if she took her car and was able to park right out front, Carter would be alright. She’d managed the single mom life so far and this wasn’t going to stop her either.  

“Alright, fine. But 20 minutes, Tony. I mean it.”

Cat did not want to take Carter to a fire. She didn’t regret the decision to divorce her husband. Most of the time, she was thankful that her son wouldn’t have to grow up being raised by parents who couldn’t stand each other. Sometimes though, she just needed some help - someone who could stand by her side. Someone who could make sure she never needed to bring Carter to work with her.

She made Carter pinky promise that he would stay in the car. Cat had told Tony she’d go to the fire; she didn’t say she would send him anything good. Cat could grab some pictures from somewhere close to the car and do her best to interview people right in its vicinity. 

Of course the fire would be totally out by the time she got there. It was just that sort of day for her. Supergirl had come and gone. The most anyone suffered was an asthma attack from smoke inhalation. At least Supergirl’s help meant Cat could get back to Carter quickly. 

He wasn’t in the car. 

Cat’s entire chest seized when she realized Carter wasn’t buckled up where she had left him. She forgot everything hundreds of situations had taught her about handling an emergency and panicked. Her mind cycled through all the things that could have happened to him in the handful of minutes she’d been away from the car.

And then she heard a laugh, Carter’s laugh. Cat whirled around and there he was, totally intact and babbling away to Kara Danvers. The other reporter was crouched down on the ground while she talked to him. 

He was safe. He was ok. Cat didn’t know why he was with Danvers though. The other reporter had seemed friendly enough the two times Cat had spoken to her. But she was also an adult and should have walked Carter over to one of the many police officers in the area. 

This was entirely too much for one day. Cat just wanted to get her son and take him home. She sank down to the ground and hugged Carter tight. “Why weren’t you in the car? I told you to stay there.”

“I’m sorry, Mamma,” Carter said. “But look! She has a camera just like you!”

Cat looked up at Kara who was waiting awkwardly over them, hands in her pockets and shuffling back and forth. She certainly looked apologetic. Cat stood up with Carter still in her arms and with one hand tangled in his curls.  She reached out a hand to Kara. “I think it’s about time I properly introduced myself,” she said. “Cat Grant.”

“Kara Danvers,” she said, taking Cat’s hand and shaking it.

Carter looked up from his mom’s side and held out his own hand. “I’m Carter.”

Kara gripped his hand in hers and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Carter,” Kara said. “I’m so sorry about this, Cat. He came over to me and I didn’t really know what to do. I recognized you car right there though. I figured I should just keep him in sight and call out to you when you got back. I’m truly sorry I didn’t realize you had. You must have been terrified.”

Carter looked up from where he’d been playing with Cat’s hair. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

Cat brushed Carter’s bangs aside and kissed his forehead. “I know, my sweet boy. I think it’s about time I get you home,” Cat said. “And you, Ms. Danvers - thank you. Thank you so much.”

Kara blushed and shrugged. “I was just doing what anyone would do,” she said. “Hey, um, I know you got here kind of late and all - do you need any pictures of the scene? I’ve got a few extra from when the building was still on fire.”

Cat was completely baffled. It was one thing to share notes at a scene, reporters did that all the time, but to give someone photos? That was unheard of. The business thrived on competition. No reporter would just give away their edge like that. This was a woman who’d openly defied Lois Lane before though. Maybe she was different to the rest.

The only other person who’d caught her off guard like this in recent years was Supergirl. Cat wasn’t used to help. She did everything herself and that was, well, it wasn’t ideal, but she liked that she was able to thrive independently. 

Kara seemed thrown off by Cat’s silence, but she kept talking. “I mean, you don’t have to take them if you don’t want them, but I have a WiFi hookup on my camera and I can really easily email them to you. No need to tell anyone they came from me. I mean, please actually don’t tell anyone where you got them from if you do want them because Lois would probably throw me off a roof.”

Cat laughed. “That does sound like her,” she said. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to accept Kara’s help. “And that would be great actually. Let me just give you my card so you know where to send them.”

She had just handed her business card over to Kara when her replacement from  _ The Tribune _ walked up from behind - Leslie Willis: one of the most frustrating people Cat had the dubious pleasure of working with.

““Kitty cat! I’m here to replace you,” Leslie said as she took in the firefighters loading gear back into their trucks. “That’s maybe not so necessary anymore I guess. Anyway, who’s this?”

“Kara Danvers,  _ Daily Planet _ ,” Kara answered. 

Leslie smirked and threw an arm around Kara’s shoulder. “I see you consort with the enemy now,” she said, eyeing Kara appreciatively. “I can see why actually.”

Cat felt a surprising stab of emotion in her gut. She wasn’t sure what it was. Something like helping Cat with some photos seemed so small, but it was one of the nicest things anyone had done for Cat in years. It was certainly the most selfless. Cat felt something for the other reporter and Leslie and her horniness was interrupting her chance to figure it out

She could easily see the appeal in Kara, but Leslie would literally hit on anything that moved. It was absolutely infuriating at the best of times, but now it just felt wrong - Kara had helped her and deserved more than a night with Leslie of all people. It wasn’t like Cat could say that though. Leslie was right; Kara was the enemy. Cat had no business talking to her and she could get the other reporter into serious trouble if someone found out Kara had shared photos without permission from her boss. It was best to be Cat Grant,  _ Tribune _ reporter, for the rest of this conversation.

“A  _ Planet _ reporter? Really, Willis? Normally I’d make some effort to keep you from stooping so low, but I’ve got more important things to take care of. I’ll leave the fire to you.”

Cat walked off with Carter for her car. She bristled at the sound of Leslie’s ridiculous come on to Kara about spending the night making fake news together.

Her phone vibrated a moment later as she was buckling Carter in - an email from Kara Danvers with two pictures of the building engulfed in flames attached. It seemed Kara was capable of multitasking even with a Leslie-shaped distraction on hand.

Kara was...confusing. She had offered to help Cat when she didn’t need to and then followed through even after Cat had taken an undeserved dig at her. She was ignoring Leslie to help Cat.  Kara was something special. 

XXXXX

Leslie was slumped at her desk with a pair of sunglasses on the next morning. She had on the same outfit she’d been wearing the day before. Sunglasses at work were actually fairly typical for Leslie, but not repeat outfits. Leslie refused to sleep over at her conquests and never brought them back to her own apartment.

Cat normally wasn’t curious about Leslie’s nighttime activities. She’d wanted to bathe in bleach the one time Leslie had told her about what she got up to. But Cat needed to know if Leslie had been out with Kara. 

After checking that Carter was ok at her desk - Cat had been forced to bring him to work - Cat brought a mug of coffee over to Leslie. She told herself the curiosity wasn’t personal, that it was just being courteous to a coworker.

“You look wrecked,” Cat said, setting the coffee down on Leslie’s desk. “Long night?”

Leslie sluggishly reached for the mug and dragged it toward herself. “She may look innocent, but that reporter from the Planet can put back drinks like nobody’s business,” Leslie said. She took a sip of coffee and winced from the heat. “Is it just me, or is everybody especially loud today?”

“Just you,” Cat said. “I’m surprised you and Danvers actually went out.”

“I’m surprised you care. So which one of us are you jealous of? I could easily see both. I mean, I know I’m super hot,” Leslie said. “But ooph, Danvers is hot under those cardigans. You should cross enemy lines more often, Kitty cat.” 

“Some of us have standards, Willis,” Cat snarked, dismayed to feel her chest tightening. She hadn’t felt something like that in years, ot since she’d learned that Carter’s father was cheating on her. Cat had no reason to feel that way now. She barely even knew Kara. 

Leslie looked all too awake now. She had rocked back in her chair and was balanced with it on just two legs. Cat was regretting bringing her the coffee. “You ever think of maybe lowering those standards? You’re way uptight. I feel like you really need to be getting some. There’s all sorts of apps for it,” Leslie said with a smirk. “I’m sure one of the tech guys would be happy to help you set those up.”

Cat was saved from having to respond by the call of the assignment editor for the morning meeting. As unappealing as Leslie’s suggestion sounded, it had been a long time since Cat has last been in any sort of relationship. She had no idea where she was supposed to find the time though - being a good reporter and a good mom was hard enough without adding something else into the mix. 

Cat had already put in a request for the day. She was covering a conference on the relationship between police and the communities they protected. The number one priority for the day was covering something where she could keep an eye on Carter.

It felt like the wrong choice the instant she walked in an hour later with Carter and spotted Kara Danvers, notebook perched on her knee and phone in her hand, sitting in the press section of the room.

This felt like too soon to see her. Cat’s emotions concerning her were a mess: she was thankful Kara had kept her son safe, irrationally angry that the woman hadn’t somehow done more to get Carter back to her in the first place, confused that Kara had shared photos and uncomfortable knowing that Kara had spent the previous night with Leslie.

Carter made it impossible to avoid her though. He raced right toward the other reporter. “Kara!”

The other reporter looked up from her phone and smiled. “Hey, buddy. Are you being a reporter with your mom today?”

He nodded. “Yup! I’m a ‘porter now. Mamma says I can ask questions and write stories.”

“Well being a reporter is pretty good. And you know what you need to be one? Your very own notebook,” Kara said. 

She pulled out a spare one from her bag and handed it over to Carter. Cat rolled her eyes when she saw the giant  _ Daily Planet _ logo on the front cover, but her gaze softened when she saw how excited Carter was. 

Cat handed Carter a pack of crayons and settled him at the table with his new notebook before she took a seat next to Kara. 

“So apparently you handle your drinks much better than Leslie.”

Kara snorted. “I’m not sure how much of that was me handling it better and how much of it was just Leslie being surprisingly bad,” Kara said. “Is everything ok with Carter? I’m not the best with calendars, but it isn’t a national holiday today as far as I know. Sick day?”

Cat paused. Kara was still a virtual stranger, but Cat found herself wanting to share with her. She may not have answers, but Cat didn’t have those either. Cat just wanted someone to listen to her.

“His moron of a principal expelled him for fighting. He was trying to stand up for one of his friends. He may be calling himself a reporter now, but his dream job is actually to be a superhero.”

Kara glanced over to where Carter was drawing a caped dinosaur in his new notebook. “He sounds like an amazing kid. He reminds me of my sister actually. School age kids can be rough.”

“They are,” Cat said. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

Kara glanced up at the podium where a woman had just started trying to get everyone’s attention. “Raincheck on the rest of this conversation?”

“Deal.”

They all settled in for the next two hours: Cat and Kara took notes while Carter worked his way through his new notebook before he switched to some books. Carter started to get a little restless toward the end.

“I’m hungry,” he whispered. “Pizza, Mamma?”

“You bet, but we just have to wait a little bit longer,” Cat said. “Ok?”

“Ok”, Carter said. “Kara come?”

Cat glanced at the other reporter. She was speedily typing up notes on her phone and looked totally focused on the keynote speaker. Cat was glad Carter had asker for her. She didn’t think she’d have been able to ask just for herself even though she wanted to spent more time with the other woman. For Carter though, she could ask “Maybe, but you need to be quiet for just a few more minutes first.”

The speaker finished up a couple of minute later and, with a little prompting from Carter, Cat agreed to ask Kara to join them for lunch. 

“Carter and I are getting some pizza before heading back to  _ The Tribune _ ,” Cat said. “You’re welcome to join us if you’d like. It’ll give me the chance to cash in on that raincheck.”

Kara smiled. “I’d love to join you both,” she said. “Pizza is the best!”

Carter and Kara used the walk to the closest pizza place to discuss pizza toppings. They traded weird topping suggestions back and forth. Cat just hoped Carter didn’t insist on some of these the next time they did pizza night at home.

They ordered their pizza and took it over to a row of stools by the window. Cat helped Carter up onto one before perching on a stool herself. 

She took a bite of pizza and turned toward Kara. “So, my raincheck?”

Kara took a gulp of root beer before she answered. “I wasn’t born in the U.S. I was adopted by a family here after my parents died when I was 12. Adjusting to life here was hard and my foster sister really looked out for me. Sorry,” Kara said. “I know it’s a bit heavy for pizza. Pizza which the little guy totally looks like he’s enjoying.”

Carter’s face and hands were completely covered in sauce. Cat reached for the napkins to her side, but Kara had already grabbed some and started delicately cleaning off Carter’s face. 

Cat was surprised she was so good with Carter. She’d met a lot of people who had experienced loss like Kara’s. They were often closed off, but Kara was one of the friendliest people she’d ever met. There was no way she’d escaped totally unscathed - Cat hadn’t when she’d lost her father - but Kara seemed strong, somehow able to carry that weight.

“You’re really good with him,” Cat said. 

“Well I don’t have much experience wiping off other people’s faces, but I have plenty of experience wiping up my own,” Kara said. “How about me, buddy? Is my face clean?”

“All clean,” Carter said. “How come your sister didn’t come eat pizza?”

“She’s busy at work,” Kara answered. 

“She a ‘porter too?”

“Nope, but you’re doing a very good job asking questions like a reporter,” Kars said. “I can see I gave my notebook to the right person.”

Cat enjoyed watching the two talk. She rarely got to see Carter interact with anyone. His dad wasn’t in the picture; there was no way Cat was letting her mother anywhere near Carter and Cat didn’t have much in the way of friends coming over at the end of the day. As far as she’d been concerned, it was her and Carter against the world. But it was nice watching him with someone else.

“I’m pretty sure Carter wrote an article this morning about Supergirl,” Cat said. “He can do a lot with those crayons.”

“Can I see, buddy?”

Carter opened up his new notebook and excitedly showed Kara and his mom all of the drawings he had done. The second page featured a drawing of Supergirl. She was flying through the sky alongside a boy with brown hair. 

Kara smiled, knowing how excited Carter would be if he knew who he was sitting next to. “Is this you with Supergirl?”

“Yup. I’mma be a superhero and a ‘porter when I get big.”

“You look pretty big to me,” Kara said. “How old are you? 48?

Carter laughed. “No, I’m four and 25.”

Kara looked to Cat and quirked an eyebrow. “Four and 25?” she mouthed to Cat. 

Cat laughed. “Carter means he’s 4 and a quarter. He’d been learning about money at school,” Cat said. She looked down at her phone. “Actually, we’ve got to go. I need to turn in a draft on today’s conference and then Carter and I are checking out two potential schools.”

Kara scooted off her stool and grabbed her garbage. “No problem. I have to go do the same. I mean, the article part - not the school part. Parents would probably have a problem with it if I just started roaming the halls of their kids’ school.”

Cat helped Carter down and smirked at Kara. “I don’t know. I’ve seen the level of writing at the _ Planet _ ,” Cat said, already walking hand-in-hand with Carter toward the exit. “I feel like maybe you could use a bit more school time.”

“Wait, what? Not cool, Cat. Not cool.”


	3. Chapter 3

It took Cat weeks to get back to the Agostini family. She’d uncovered some unsettling information while she was digging into the cops they had on their payroll. Cat wanted to follow up on it immediately after dealing with the officers, but it got lost in the shuffle. There was day-to-day crime to report on and so much of her time had been taken up by finding Carter a new school and helping him settle in.

The leads she did have suggested the Agostinis were trafficking young girls. Some time spent flirting with hulking men at less than hygienic bars had brought her back to Brooklyn. Cat paid a babysitter to spend the night watching Carter and drove over the Brooklyn Bridge. 

She parked out front and settled in for a long night taking pictures and writing notes about everyone who entered or exited. Visitor number five didn’t use a door. Cat didn’t even notice her entrance until she heard the sound of shattering glass. 

Cat grabbed her stuff and ran toward the building. The front door was sure to be locked and this didn’t seem like the time to try and get someone to buzz her in. There was a garbage room to the side though; Cat had noticed it during her stakeout. 

She could hear the sound of shots being fired as she picked her way around piles of trash. Cat really hoped Supergirl had this under control by the time she got to the right floor. She sprinted up the stairs looking for signs of the fight; Cat got two on the fifth floor. The front door of an apartment was hanging from the frame t and a man was passed out in the hallway. 

Supergirl was inside a completely wrecked apartment 5c taking pictures with her smartphone. 

“You have a phone?”

She whirled around. “Ms. Grant! What are you doing here? It’s not safe.”

Cat looked at the hero incredulously; none of the men looked as if they had an ounce of fight left in them. “I’m doing my job,” she said, making a beeline for a laptop still open on one of the tables. “You want to tell me happened here?”

“No. What I want is for you to go back to your car.”

Cat snorted. “I don’t think you understand. I’m here doing my job and I’m not leaving,” Cat said. She pulled out flash drive, plugged it into the laptop and started copying over the files. “Now if you don’t want to explain what happened, I can always write that you were found on scene, but declined to comment.”

Cat quite enjoyed the look on Supergirl’s face. The hero had stymied reporters around on the city for months and it was nice to return the favor. Then all of a sudden she was in front of Cat, a bullet bouncing off her chest. 

Cat’s eyes widened as she noticed a shooter in the doorway. He fired off a second shot, taking out the laptop, before Supergirl could wrench the gun from his hands. Cat pulled her flash drive from the smoking laptop and tapped the camera on her phone open. 

_ Snap _ \- she caught Supergirl bending the gun in half.  _ Snap  _ \- the camera captured the man pulling out a knife.  _ Snap  _ \- Cat photographed the shocked look on the man’s face as his knife crumpled against Supergirl’s chest.  _ Snap  _ \- she got a picture of Supergirl knocking him out with a flick to the chin. 

She had known for months what Supergirl was capable of, but it was one thing to see her in action from a distance and another entirely to see all that power close up. It was intoxicating knowing that she, of everyone in the city, was the one who stood witness to that strength. 

Cat snapped back to attention. “You sure you don’t want to comment? I’m thinking these pictures will speak for themselves, but it’s up to you?”

Supergirl groaned and whirled around. “You’re still here? Do you have no concept of personal safety?”

“I take my job very seriously, Supergirl. I thought that’s why you got me involved in this story anyway.”

The hero looked completely stricken. “You’re right,” she said. “I did do that and it was wrong of me. This is entirely too dangerous for you.”

“Because I’m a woman?”

“No! Because you’re human. Because, last I checked, you have a small son at home. Children deserve to grow up with their parents.”

Cat stiffened. Supergirl knew  _ nothing _ about her relationship with Carter. “That was out of line.”

“No, no it wasn’t. I know what it’s like to grow up an orphan. Don’t do that to your son. Please, let me handle the Agostinis myself.”

Cat softened for a moment. Some part of her had known Supergirl had to have some sort of heart-breaking backstory: it wasn’t as if caped heroes had been flying around in the years before Supergirl and her cousin popped up. But well intentioned requests or no, Cat wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t.

“I didn’t get where I am by waiting for stories to come to me,”Cat said. “I’m not backing out. So you can either work with me or you can ignore me.”

Supergirl’s shoulders slumped. “I can’t condone that,” she paused and turned toward the window. “I have to go - someone needs me. Be careful, please.”

Cat took a moment to watch the other woman fly into the distance and then got back to work cataloging the contents of the apartment. The police were sure to be there any moment and she didn’t know how long the men would stay knocked out for. 

It was three minutes of frantic shuffling through everything before she heard sirens outside. Cat quickly made her way outside. Police weren’t the only ones on scene. Kara Danvers was there too.

XXXXX

Kara had flown out of the apartment, furious at herself for getting Cat involved in this. She should have thought things through more before telling Cat about those cops. Kara had known Cat wasn’t the type of person to let things go, but she hadn’t thought about the consequences of that beyond getting awful people off the streets.

And now Kara knew Cat had a son. There was a child who depended on her. Kara could see Carter in her mind, swinging his legs from atop the stool at the pizza place. He was so happy and carefree. Kara needed to make sure that didn’t change. She just had no idea how she was supposed to do that. She had been charged with protecting a child once before and she’d failed.

Kara quickly handled a mugging a few blocks away from the apartment before she flew back, changed clothing in an alley and walked back out as a reporter. She still had a job to do; Kara needed to pay her rent and grocery bills somehow.

Cat was standing nonchalantly by the police barricade as if she hadn’t been inside the building earlier. Kara knew that mentioning Carter earlier as Supergirl hadn’t gone over well, but reminding Cat that she was a mother was the only thing Kara could think of to get the other woman to be a little more cautious in her handling of the Agostinis. They were dangerous and Kara needed Cat to be safe. 

She barely knew the other woman, but Kara did know the world was a better place with Cat Grant in it. Cat and Carter had ignited a protective instinct in Kara entirely different from the one that guided her to help the city. This one was personal. Kara walked over to Cat and knew she had to try something.

“Hey - you got anything?”

Cat looked briefly away from the building and shrugged. “Some Agostini family thing. Still waiting on the details. You got here fast.”

“Yea, my sister lives in the area and I was listening to the scanner - heard something about shots fired. I abandoned potstickers to come over,” Kara said, cringing internally at being forced to lie to Cat. “No Carter tonight?

Cat’s face broke into an impish grin. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, but there is such a thing as a bedtime.”

Kara laughed. “Funnily enough, I have heard of bedtimes. Is Carter liking his new school?”

Cat lit up. “He is,” she said. “And I haven’t gotten any calls from the principal about him playing the superhero again. You know, he brought the reporter notebook you gave him in to show and tell a week-or-so ago.”

“Really? That’s amazing,” Kara said. “You’ve got the next Bernstein on your hands.”

Of course other reporters chose that moment to show up.

“You talking about me? Because I’m pretty sure I’ve only been on your hands, Kara,” Leslie said. 

Kara flushed. The presence of a one-night stand who worked with Cat was not going to help matters here at all. She was frustrated by Cat’s transformation in Leslie’s presence. Kara had hoped the way Cat had acted last time Leslie interrupted them was a one-off, but it appeared that wasn’t the case. 

Cat had been controlled and alert earlier, but that just seemed like a mindfulness of where they were and what had happened inside. Now though, she was tense, pulled tight like a rubber band on the verge of snapping. Kara just hoped that she was wrong, that Cat would stay the woman she had come to care for.

“This is my story, Willis,” Cat said. “You can go home.”

“Chill, Kitty cat. I’m just going where the boss lady sends me. Doesn’t mean I can’t stick around and enjoy the scenery now that I’m here,” Leslie said. “There’s a whole lot here to enjoy.”

Kara winced. Her night out with Leslie had been fun. There was something to be said for spending time with someone like her, but Kara could do without the crudeness right now - especially if it was going to impact her relationship with Cat. 

“I actually have work to do too,” Kara said. 

“And after?”

Cat huffed and walked off. Kara felt a pang of regret watching her go. She hadn’t had the chance to probe Cat about her investigation or find out much about Carter’s new school. Cat was asking an officer questions just yards away, but it felt so much further with the way Cat had just shut down on her.

“Kara? You, me, tonight - make some more sparks happen?”

“Yea, alright,” Kara said. “I’ll text you in a bit. I really do need to deal with this first.”

Leslie may be frustration incarnate at times, but she was also easy. She was a jolt of fun to Kara’s system. Kara needed easy and fun in her life. She got so wrapped up in Supergirl and reporting most of the time. Kara knew it wasn’t healthy, knew she could burn out so easily with the amount she put on herself. With Leslie she didn’t have to be anything; she just had to let go and feel. 

Her personal life had taken a bit of a dive lately. She’d been on the verge of a relationship with her cousin’s best friend, but he had followed Clark to Metropolis. And Alex just wasn’t around as much anymore. Kara was thrilled her sister had someone in her life who made her so happy, but she missed her. Game nights and sister nights had fallen by the wayside and Kara was left searching for something to ground her and help her feel normal.

So Kara finished up at the scene and she want out with Leslie, but this time was different from last time. As much as Kara tried to just let go, she couldn’t stop thinking about Cat. The other woman’s face was there every time she closed her eyes and Kara swore she could hear Cat’s heartbeat over the sound of Leslie and the music.

Her mind raced as she laid next to a sleeping Leslie that night. Kara couldn’t relax thinking about the danger she might have put Cat into. For all she knew, Cat might have run off into another Agostini hideout while Kara was out with Leslie. Kara needed to know Cat was safe. She gave into temptation and reached out with her senses until she tracked the other woman down. Kara fell asleep to the steady beat of Cat’s heart.

Kara tracked Cat down the next night, and the next and the next and the next. The other woman was either out reporting or home with Carter each time. Kara would fly off and either do some reporting or respond to emergencies around the city. She felt guilty each time. Kara knew it was invasive, but she couldn’t stop herself. She had come to care about Cat and Carter a lot in a brief period of time.

Eventually, Kara found Cat parked outside an old Agostini family building. She used her x-ray vision to scan the inside. It was totally safe and Kara knew that Cat could safely sit outside all night if she wanted to, but Kara missed her. She wanted to spend time with her. Kara didn’t feel showing up as Supergirl would be best, holding up to Cat’s scrutiny in an enclosed space for an extended period of time sounded impossible. 

She landed behind a nearby building and changed her clothing in the shadows. Kara wandered out and headed for Cat’s car. She knocked on the driver’s side window and smiled sheepishly at Cat after the other woman startled. 

Cat scowled and popped open her door. “What are you doing here, Kara?”

“See, funny thing, you’re not the only one with reporting skills who’s interested in the Agostinis,” Kara said. “Also, it’s cold and I don’t have a car. Want some company?”

Cat huffed. “If you must,” she said. “Carter would probably be devastated if you froze to death.”

XXXXX

She was  _ humming _ . Kara Danvers was in her car and she wouldn’t stop humming Lady Gaga. Cat had agreed to let her in the car, but she hadn’t agreed to this. She’d told Kara that she preferred quiet so she could focus, but the other woman seemed completely incapable of it.

“Must you do that?”

Kara stopped humming. “Huh?”

“The humming!”

Kara flushed. “Sorry, I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Bad habit - it drives my sister nuts. I’ll be quiet now.”

There was silence for all of four minutes. Cat didn’t appreciate it as much as she’d expected. Kara’s voice had been nice and now without the sound of the music, Cat was more focused on Kara’s smell. It was distracting and not at all what she needed right now - especially now that it turned out she had competition on this story. She should have known someone else out there was working on it, especially someone as good as Kara was.

But Cat had experienced some trouble thinking straight since Kara made her appearance. Her head was, in some ways, clearer than it had ever been, but she also found herself lost in daydreams. It was a new experience for Cat. No one else had demanded Cat’s attention - not quite like Kara had. 

Cat supposed Supergirl had as well, but that was more from a professional standpoint. She needed to know about Supergirl to satisfy her professional ego and personal curiosity, but she needed to know about Kara, well, she didn’t quite understand where the drive to know Kara came from. Cat just knew that it was there and it was strong. 

Cat ended up being the one to break. “Where’s your girlfriend tonight?”

“Um, I don’t have a girlfriend,” Kara said slowly. 

She sounded genuinely confused. Cat bit her lip out of frustration. Perhaps she had misread the relationship between Leslie and Kara. “You’re not dating Willis?”

Kara burst out into laughter. “Oh rao, no. Leslie and I are just having some fun. The idea of dating her is honestly kind of terrifying. Besides, I think she has this thing for some girl named Siobhan. Siobhan sounds equally terrifying based on the few things Leslie’s let slip. I think they’ll probably take over New York if they ever get together. Maybe the world.”

“A power couple for Supergirl to take on then,” Cat said.

Kara cleared her throat. “Sounds about right...What about you?”

“Excuse me?”

“I was just wondering who the other half of the Grant power couple is,” Kara said. “It seems like anyone worthy of you must be formidable in his or her own right.”

Kara thought she was with someone. It made some degree of sense; Cat had never mentioned otherwise. She actually hadn’t shared much about herself with Kara at all. Cat knew very little about Kara’s history, but what she did know was deeply personal. It suddenly struck her as wrong that she hadn’t shared much of anything with Kara. Cat felt she could trust her and she actually wanted Kara to know things about her. 

“I’m enough power for a whole couple actually,” Cat said. “Carter’s father is not in the picture anymore. There hasn’t really been anyone serious since then. Carter and my work are my life. It’s hard to find someone who understands that.”

Kara’s phone rang and she glanced down at the caller ID.

“I’m sorry, it’s my sister,” Kara said. “Do you mind?”

“Go ahead.”

Kara answered up the phone and cradled it to her ear. “Hey, what’s up?”

Her whole demeanor was different while she talked to her sister. Cat had thought Kara was in her element when reporting. Kara had never seemed anything but comfortable with her, even when they barely knew each other, but this Kara, the one on the phone with her sister, she was totally relaxed. Cat wanted to see more of that.

Cat only heard half the conversation, but it seemed as if Kara’s sister planned to go away to Nebraska with her girlfriend for Christmas. Kara’s face sank over the course of the conversation, but her tone never indicated her clear disappointment. She insisted her sister should go and that she would be fine.

Cat hadn’t understood the appeal of the holiday until Carter was born and she had someone to fuss over. His wonder at Santa and joy over decorations and presents had changed her mind about the holiday. 

Kara hung up with a frown on her face and Cat made a decision. “So your sister is going away for Christmas?”

“Yea, she’s going to meet her girlfriend’s aunt - last minute change of plans. Maggie wanted Alex to meet her.

Cat cleared her throat. “If you’re not doing anything else you can join Carter and I for the holiday. He’s still enamored with you after just one lunch. He would really enjoy having you over.”

Kara looked at Cat as if she was studying her. “And would you enjoy my company, Cat?”

“I wouldn’t have asked you if that weren’t the case.”

Kara’s face lit up. “I’d love to come,” she said softly. “But only if you let me sing Christmas songs.” 

Cat sniffed. “I suppose I could allow that - as long as you don’t do it incessantly.” 

“I make no promises.”


End file.
